In less than a month Thirdi turns 3. In a way, that means as a businessman I’m also turning 3.
Over the years clients have come and gone. Some have returned and others have not, but it was always the clients decision. As I look back it becomes obvious I wasn’t running a business, my clients were running the business.
To be fair, I never really set out to build a webapps and ecommerce service company. Thanks to a few timely connections and a solid foundation of proven work, I was able to transform my freelance efforts into a tangible (I use the word loosely) business. Even as the company grew, I ran things completely adhoc. As clients signed on, I would add bodies and services. After two and a half years, I had a smorgasbord of services and talent with a lack of direction. Not exactly a recipe for success.
This fall I decided to stop letting my clients run the business and steer the ship myself. With a simple concise message and a unified goal, the team has been focused on building a marketing plan and refreshing the website (Look for this early January, 2010). I tasked myself with sourcing and aligning the business we take on with our long term goal.
The scariest move was firing our oldest client. This client had helped define us since the beginning, but no longer fit with our long term goals. Rather than looking at it as lost revenue, I focus on how it frees up resources for the better of the company. Long term this will be better for both companies.
In the end, it’s simply a sign of both myself and my company growing up.